One of the most common desires for many people today is to be able to travel more. Sadly, there is a dangerous misconception that traveling is too difficult or stressful to do on a regular basis. Some people plan vacations out for years, which is fine, but definitely loses a bit of the adventurous spirit. Being able to get spontaneity back into your travels helps make each trip and new place feel a bit more special.
It’s common today that people would like to travel a lot more than they are able to. While part of this is due to the fact that finding time for travel can be difficult for many professionals, nowadays, another problem is that people think it is just too costly to travel. However, if traveling is important to you, it is definitely achievable, just like with any other expensive purchases. Here are some ways that you can save money for a surprise vacation…
OPEN A SAVINGS ACCOUNT STRICTLY FOR TRAVEL
One of the first steps towards having the financial freedom to travel is to make sure that you are budgeting for your traveling future. When you break out your expenses and your savings, treat your savings for travel differently from other savings. The easiest way to do this is to put your funds for traveling in their own account. It can even be a good idea to set up automatic transfers into this account so that you don’t fall behind saving up for your traveling goals. You can even boost this savings pot by following a self-directed ira guide, this should help you aim for even bigger travel goals.
VACATION CHEAP
One big misconception that people have about traveling is that it has to be a terribly expensive affair. However, this certainly doesn’t have to be the case. Sure, if you want to stay at fancy hotels and have every aspect of your travel catered to you, then the bill can rack up, quickly. However, it is very possible to engage in fulfilling vacations without breaking your bank. For example, buying groceries when you travel helps you cut down on eating out costs, and finding local people to stay with can save you thousands on hotel rooms.
TRAVEL IN GROUPS
When you travel with friends, you can find ways to split the costs of travel in unique ways. For example, a group of people will be able to split the costs of lodging in a more cost-effective way than a lone traveler could. On top of that, many activities will be cheaper if you are purchasing as a group unit.
HAVE A VACATION FUND JAR
This is an old trick that has worked for couples for decades. You and your significant other can make a little bit of tangible progress, every day, towards your travel goals by having a jar of change and small bills that is devoted to a traveling fund. If you both pledge to put a specific small amount in the jar, every day, as well as any loose change you have, then you’ll find that your savings begin to add up.
SELL NEEDLESS STUFF
Having lots of things can sometimes be antagonistic to your desires to travel. First of all, spending your money on possessions usually is going to dip into a sizeable portion of your travel fund. In addition, the types of personalities that travel a lot are generally characterized by not allowing themselves to be tied down by all of that “stuff.” You can kill a couple birds with one stone here, if you’d like, and get rid of lots of that stuff and get money for your next trip at the same time, by merely selling the belongings that you don’t need or want, anymore. This can be done by going to pawn shops, using eBay and Amazon, or even selling your things at a garage sale, the good ol’ fashioned way!
